Crown Park

by Des Hunt

  “Then we’d better go and save him,” said Fluoro.

  As they moved across the clearing, the other birds moved back to form an avenue. Although there were calls of support, none offered to help.

  The adzebills showed little reaction. A couple looked up as the Luce Crew approached and gave them the evil eye before getting back to feeding.

  They were big birds, easily up to Jack’s waist. The charcoal plumage on their backs made them look like mourners at a funeral. Except they weren’t gathered to bury corpses, they were there to eat them.

  Scattered on the ground were the bodies of several moho. Purple feathers were being thrown everywhere by the adzebills’ powerful feet. With the feathers out of the way, the adzebills then attacked the flesh with their beaks. These were sharp enough to pierce right through the body cavity, and strong enough to rip out the guts in one action. Jack’s own gut tightened as he watched. These were not birds to mess with.

  Lucy and Godfrey stood and watched in shock as the birds they had come to rescue were torn apart. It took Pat to remind them about Chainsaw. He sniffed the air.

  “The cat’s in that direction.” His nose pointed to a space between the adzebills and a patch of trees.

  Jack’s eyes followed the line and found Chainsaw crouching in the grass, ready to attack. His target was two chicks fighting over a length of intestines.

  Before Jack could call out, Chainsaw had moved. In a flash one of the chicks was trapped under his paws. He had it in his mouth and was moving away when the other chick started squawking. Soon all the chicks were at it.

  The response of the adults was immediate and organized. They sprinted to positions surrounding the chicks. All was done with such speed that Jack suspected they had done it many times before.

  Chainsaw would have had enough time to get through the ring, except the chick in his mouth still held onto the length of intestine. Some of it dragged behind, getting under Chainsaw’s feet and tripping him up. He staggered and slowed enough to be encircled by the angry birds.

  One of the adzebills gave a harsh call. That had to be Boris, their leader. Instantly the chicks stopped squawking and ran to hide in the shelter of their parents. Another call and the circle began to close. A low rumbling filled the air. It took Jack a moment to realize that it was coming from the adzebills, sounding like the growling of a pack of dogs.

  At the centre of the circle was Chainsaw. The chick in his mouth was still very much alive, though panting heavily. Chainsaw was more wary than frightened. As the circle tightened, his back arched and he started hissing.

  None of this had any effect on the adzebills — they continued to creep closer. Then Boris gave a different call. They all stopped. The ring had closed so that the birds were almost touching each other. Even if Chainsaw had wanted to run, there would be no way through.

  “They want him to drop the chick,” whispered Fluoro.

  “What if he does?” asked Jack. “Do you think they’ll let him go?”

  Fluoro shook his head. “I doubt it. I don’t think you mess with them and get away with it.”

  “What can we do?”

  In answer, Fluoro let out a mighty roar, taking a couple of steps forward. Jack moved to support him. Lucy and Godfrey hesitated, unsure about risking their lives for a furry thing. In the end they stayed put.

  A couple of adzebills glanced up, wondering what the noise was about. They saw no threat and returned to staring at Chainsaw.

  Fluoro let out another roar, waving his hands around wildly. Jack joined in.

  Again this had little impact on the adzebills. But Chainsaw must’ve thought that Fluoro’s anger was directed at him. He opened his mouth and let the chick fall to the ground. It took a couple of gasps of air before staggering across the gap to join the other chicks.

  Now there was no reason for the adzebills to hold back. On a call from Boris, four of them began moving in. Chainsaw crouched down and began flicking his tail warily.

  Fluoro and Jack shouted as loud as they could. Lucy and Godfrey joined in. Soon the noise was so loud that Jack had to cover his ears. Louder and louder it got until even the adzebills had to take notice. The four attackers left the cat and rushed back to the others who were now huddling in a group, as scared as all the other animals around.

  Chainsaw waited only a moment before taking off towards the trees where he disappeared into the shadows.

  Jack stopped his screaming. But the noise didn’t lessen. It kept getting louder. Soon everything was shaking with sound. The whole world seemed to be falling apart. Jack dropped to the ground and rolled himself into a ball. His head felt like it was going to split open. There was a flash of bright light, followed quickly by another. After that there was only blackness.

  Chapter 8

  Jack opened his eyes. The noise had stopped, but the flashing light was back. It was caused by the gentle breeze moving a tree back and forth across the sun.

  He was lying on the ground next to the lounger in Fluoro’s shelter. Chainsaw had gone. Fluoro was lying back in his recliner. He was staring at the iron roof, as if expecting something to happen.

  Something did!

  The noise came back. Although not as loud as in Jack’s dream, it was almost as scary. This time he recognized what it was. Someone was running a stick back and forth across the corrugated iron.

  It stopped long enough for a voice to yell. “Come out, Freakhead!” Another lot of banging. “Now! Freakhead! Now!”

  The noise stopped again.

  Fluoro said something that to Jack sounded like “him be seals”.

  “What?”

  “Imbeciles,” repeated Fluoro. “Birdbrains, morons, idiots. Take your pick”

  “Do you know who it is?”

  Fluoro nodded.

  “They’ve been before. There are two of them. Brothers, each as moronic as the other.”

  “Have they gone now?”

  “No. They’ll be climbing down the bank.” He pushed the lever until the La-Z-Boy was upright. “Let me handle them. You can hide down the back if you want.”

  But Jack wasn’t going to hide. Instead he sat on the box alongside Fluoro.

  They didn’t have long to wait before the brothers were standing in front of the shelter. The bigger of the two had a stick.

  Jack’s body stiffened. It was the Bennetts.

  “Well, well, well,” said Brian. “Freakhead Fred has found a little friend.”

  “Spewit Stewart,” said Liam. “What are you here for, Spewit?”

  “He’s come to cry because we teased him,” said Brian. “Haven’t you, Spewit?”

  Jack remained silent.

  “What do you want?” mumbled Fluoro.

  The Bennetts turned to him.

  “You know what we want, Freakhead. Money! All that money you get for mumbling.”

  “That money keeps me alive,” said Fluoro.

  “Not all of it,” said Brian. “Liam says you get hundreds of dollars at a time.”

  “Liam is a liar.”

  Brian took a step forward.

  “No he’s not! You’re one of those old people who hoard money and never spend it. Everyone says you’re rich.”

  Fluoro put back his head and let out a mad cackle. Jack looked at him in alarm. The man seemed to be losing it.

  “Listen, Freakhead,” yelled Brian. “I’ve had a gutsful of you.”

  He raised his stick and moved forward.

  “No!” yelled Jack, rising from the box.

  “Stay out of it, Spewit,” said Liam. “Or you’ll get damaged too.”

  Jack sat down.

  Bennett held the stick over Fluoro’s head. “Where’s the money?” he shouted.

  “There is no money,” said Fluoro. “But I can help you with your anger problem.”

  Bennett growled like a cornered beast. He was about to bring the stick down when another voice screamed out, “Stop!”

  He spun around as if expecting an attack. There w
as none. It was Melissa from the takeaway shop. She was holding a mobile phone out at arm’s length.

  “One move, Brian Bennett,” she said, “and I’ll press this button. There’ll be a squad car here within seconds.”

  Bennett recovered quickly. “No, there won’t.”

  Melissa gave a little smile. “Don’t believe me?”

  “Nah! The cops never move that fast.”

  “They do for me,” said Melissa. “My Dad’s a policeman. Everyone in the family has police protection at the push of a button.” She turned the phone around so that he could see the screen. “You want to find out how quickly it works?”

  Doubt crossed Bennett’s face. He turned and snarled at Fluoro. “You’ll keep, Freakhead.” He then swaggered off in the direction they’d come. “C’mon, Liam,” he said over his shoulder. “Let’s get away from this freak house before we get infected.”

  Liam Bennett didn’t want to give up so easily. He turned to Jack. “I’m going to destroy you, Spewit,” he said. “When we get back to school, I’m going to tell everyone that you spent the weekend blubbering to Freakhead Fluoro. They’re going to love it. By the time I’m finished, you’ll be begging to go to another school.”

  “Go!” shouted Melissa.

  Liam puffed up his body and glared at each of them before following after his brother.

  For a time Melissa stood staring at where he’d disappeared. Then she brought her hands to her face and began breathing deeply.

  “I gather there is no special button,” said Fluoro.

  Melissa shook her head.

  “Then our thanks must be all the greater, for that was an outstanding performance.”

  She uncovered her face and gave a weak smile. “You think so? Then the drama classes at school must’ve done something.”

  “How did you know we were in trouble?” asked Jack.

  “I was crossing the park on my way to work when I heard Brian. I’d know that voice anywhere. He’s always yelling like that at school.

  “Is your father really a policeman?”

  “Yes.”

  Fluoro leaned forward. “Then I suggest that you tell him about this. Those two are likely to seek revenge.”

  Melissa gave a little shrug. “Maybe.” She turned to Jack. “Are you coming by later to feed Chainsaw?”

  Jack’s heart gave a flutter at the mention of Chainsaw.

  “We gave him some sausages earlier,” said Fluoro.

  “OK,” said Melissa, looking at her watch. “I’d better be off then. See you later.” With that she was gone.

  “You worried about Chainsaw?” asked Fluoro.

  Jack gave a little nod.

  Fluoro also nodded. “Mmm, I have no idea how it worked, but it seemed to me that we really were back at the time before the eruption. I gather it felt that way to you as well.”

  “Could Chainsaw have got trapped back there?”

  “I can’t see how,” said Fluoro. “I don’t think our bodies went back in time. Only our minds did.” He paused, thinking. “It can’t be real, Jack. Animals can’t talk. It was just part of a dream.”

  “Then where is Chainsaw?”

  “Ran off most likely. Any animal would take off with the noise those two morons were making.”

  Jack was unconvinced.

  Fluoro saw this and said, “But we can go back if you like. That’s if you don’t have to go home yet.”

  “No. There’s nothing to go home for,” replied Jack. “But I need to go to the toilet first.”

  “If it’s just to pee,” said Fluoro, ‘then go around the corner there and fertilize the bushes.

  Jack headed around the corner. The steam was getting thicker as the afternoon got colder. Several vents at the bottom of the cliff were oozing vapour. Jack found a sheltered spot and began to relieve himself. As he sprayed, he moved the stream around. That’s how he found a vent that was giving off gas but without the steam. He aimed directly at the hole only to have the stream deflected to one side by the steady flow of invisible gas.

  When he returned to the shelter, he told Fluoro about it.

  “Carbon dioxide,” said the man. “It’s coming out of all the vents with the steam, but sometimes that vent gives pure carbon dioxide.”

  “Is it poisonous?”

  “No, but it can asphyxiate people if there’s too much in the air.”

  “Will that fix await us?”

  Fluoro chuckled. “As-phyx-i-ate. It means to choke. And no, it won’t. There’s always a little breeze to take it away.”

  Jack nodded and took up his position on the lounger. “OK,” he said. “If we’re not going to be as-phyx-i-ated, then let’s go and find out what’s happened to Chainsaw.”

  Chapter 9

  This time Fluoro and Jack found themselves on top of a ridge looking down at the clearing where they’d been earlier. The adzebills had gone. So too had all the other birds.

  There was now much more steam rising out of the lake. Rafts of dead pelicans were floating in the water.

  “There’s been an explosion,” said Fluoro.

  Jack gave a sad little nod. “We better find Chainsaw quickly,” he said. “Where do you think we should look?”

  Fluoro pointed to a spit of land that reached nearly all the way out to the steam. “There. Lucy’s lot were going to The Source. I bet he followed them.”

  “Then let’s go,” said Jack, setting off down the ridge. “Let’s go find the Luce Crew.”

  “More like the Loose Screws,” said Fluoro as he fell in behind. “They’re all a bit crazy, aren’t they?”

  Jack didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure that Fluoro was the right one to call other people crazy?

  They found Lucy and Godfrey in a narrow bay, surrounded by a group of purple birds. These had to be the surviving moho.

  “Fluoro!” shouted Lucy as the humans approached. “And Jack! I thought we’d lost you all. Where did you go?”

  “We needed to take some time out,” said Fluoro.

  Godfrey nodded as if he understood that. “Good to have you back.”

  “Have you seen Chainsaw?” asked Jack.

  The animals looked at each other. “No,” answered Lucy. “Not since he ran into the trees.”

  “My word,” added Godfrey. “He was lucky that The Source chose that moment to roar, or he’d now be adzebill poo just like those poor moho.”

  “Where are the adzebills?” asked Jack.

  “Gone,” said Godfrey. “And good riddance to them. Horrible things.”

  “Yes!” added Lucy. “And they won’t be attacking moho anymore. Not now we’re here.” Her head swivelled round to beam at the assembled moho. “Aren’t they such beautiful birds?”

  They were too, with their purple breasts and thick, scarlet legs.

  “And this is Morris,” said Lucy, tilting her head towards the closest moho. “He’s their spokesperson. Aren’t you, Morris?”

  Morris gazed up at her as if he was in love. “Yes,” he said in a goofy voice. “I am.” Then he giggled. This started all the others giggling, with heads wagging stupidly from side to side.

  Jack rolled his eyes. Now he knew why they ended up extinct — it wasn’t only their legs that were thick.

  “We’re all here to see The Source,” continued Lucy. “This is about as close as you can get.”

  Fluoro and Jack followed her eyes to the steaming water.

  “I don’t think you should be here,” said Fluoro. “That could explode at any moment.”

  “Oh, we’re all right,” replied Lucy. “Nothing will happen to us.”

  “What about the pelicans?”

  “Oh, them! Stupid things were in the water. No wonder they got killed. You don’t get too close to The Source, you know.”

  The moho all nodded their heads in agreement.

  Godfrey looked to Fluoro. “Do you think it’s going to get worse?”

  “I know it’s going to get worse.”

  “How bad?�
�

  “Very. Where we’re standing will end up totally covered. I think you should get as far away from the lake as you can. And quickly.”

  “Oh,” said Lucy. “Is it really going to get that bad?”

  Jack and Fluoro nodded.

  The moa gazed out at the lake. “The Source usually looks after us land birds. But still, maybe we’d better call Pat and Em back.”

  “They’re down at the shore feeding,” Godfrey explained.

  Jack looked to the shore. Emily was clearly visible standing on top of a dead bird. There was no sign of Pat.

  Lucy let out one of her loudest “doofs”. Godfrey added a honk.

  Emily looked up, and a short distance away something else stirred amongst the corpses. A furry head popped up. But it wasn’t Pat. It was Chainsaw.

  Jack was unprepared for the strong surge of emotion that swept his body. He began running towards the shore.

  Behind him he heard Fluoro shout, “No, Jack!”

  But nothing was going to stop Jack from being with his friend.

  “Look at the water!” yelled Fluoro.

  Jack looked up and saw a great fountain of stuff rising from the lake. Then the sound hit him. A blast that soon turned into a roar. Jack stopped and watched the fountain climb into the sky. It reached a peak hundreds of metres above the lake, hanging there for a moment as if frozen in place. Next it began to collapse. Slowly at first, then with a rush as it crashed back down with a mighty splash.

  For a time it looked like it was all over. Then Jack saw the swell of water coming towards the shore.

  “Wave!” he shouted, “Wave!”

  He started running again. “Chainsaw!” he screamed. “Get out of there.”

  Emily must’ve heard the call for she gave a squawk and took off. Chainsaw just stood.

  “Chainsaw!”

  Now the wave was getting ready to break. At last Chainsaw noticed that something was happening. But instead of moving towards the land, he went towards the lake. Soon he was surrounded by water and foam.

  “Jack!” yelled Fluoro. “Save yourself!”

  Jack turned and saw that Fluoro and the birds were rushing towards the back of the bay. He tried to follow but got caught by the surging water. Running was impossible. He turned to check on Chainsaw. He was about twenty metres back, swimming towards the shore. He seemed to be carrying something in his mouth.